Estate planning can be complex, particularly for LGBTQ families. In Minnesota, inheritance laws may pose unique challenges for non-traditional families, which could result in unintended consequences. Issues with intestate succession and recognition of relationships can complicate the transfer of assets and guardianship. How can LGBTQ families ensure that their wishes are honored and their loved…
Continue reading…Yes Your Rights Are in Jeopardy: Adopt Now!
A Minnesota Estate Planning and Adoption Attorney Urges Adoption! When Minnesota legalized same-sex marriage, I had numerous potential clients call and cancel appointments. When I asked why I received variations on the same response. “Now that we can legally marry, we don’t need [wills, adoptions].” My counterarguments to this are now irrelevant. What is relevant…
Continue reading…Is Obergefeld next? The SCOTUS Decision and Same-Sex Marriage Rights
A Minnesota Estate Planning and Adoption Lawyer Warns of Future Supreme Court Decisions The time for complacency is over. In 2015, the US Supreme Court’s upheld same-sex marriage rights in the Obergefell v. Hodges case. After the decision, many gay and lesbian clients told me they no longer needed to use a lawyer to protect…
Continue reading…Do Married Lesbian Parents Still Need to Adopt? YES!!!
Minnesota LGBTQ Attorney Explains Why Gay Marriage Law Did NOT Fix the Need For Non-Biological Parent to Adopt Children Your wife is pregnant with your first child via artificial insemination. Since you’re married that makes you the legal parent of the newborn child, right? Think again. That is only true if you are legally a…
Continue reading…Why Second-Parent Adoption is Still Important for Same-Sex Couples
Should I adopt my child even if my name is on the birth certificate? The landmark Supreme Court case of Obergefell v. Hodge recognized for the first time same-sex marriage at the state and federal level. Passage of this monumental ruling strengthened the parental rights of same-sex parents; however, parenting rights continue to be largely…
Continue reading…The Importance of LGBT Estate Planning
Q: Why do LGBT couples need estate planning? After years of steady forward progress in the fight for equal rights, the LGBT community in America is now worried and anxious about its future and fears the possible loss of those hard- earned legal gains. It is absolutely critical that LGBT couples seek the help of…
Continue reading…Gay Couples, Health Care Benefits and Taxes
As you know, gay couples do not have access to many of the benefits that come with legalized marriage. Because of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) the federal government does not recognize gay marriages – even for those who are married in states in which it is legal. As a result, the federal tax…
Continue reading…Caring for Your Partner in the Golden Years
The other day I blogged about elder care and how a child can financially care for a parent who has been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s or showing signs of dementia. But what if there are no children to care for the senior? Many gay and lesbians who grow old together find that they have no support…
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